Money is always a tough subject to bring up, and always seems especially tricky when discussing tattoos. Especially as every individual artist can charge differently depending on a variety of things, some artists charge by hour, some by piece and some by day, and even then they can fluctuate based on the artists relationship with the client, the style of work and so many more external factors. And really, tattoos do often cost a lot, but more often than not, this is for the best.
Let’s break it down…
There are many factors that go into the cost of the tattoo, this includes
- Your artists knowledge and experience, the time it took them to master the art of tattooing.
- Equipment! Needles, Ink, Machines, Power packs, all of the items it takes to actually tattoo you- they don’t run cheap.
- Chair rent, artists pay to use the space their in, so a portion of their earnings every month go back into the studio.
- Admin & Marketing, all the time put into answering emails, managing social media, advertising their business etc. After all, the majority of tattoo artists are self employed, so only have themself running the ship!
- Their time, the time they took drawing your design and curating it perfectly for you, reapplying your stencil, making sue you’re comfy and content and ensuring you have a good time.
Phew! So a lot of factors do actually come into play when pricing up a tattoo, and it’s important to keep these all in mind when you’re quoted for your next ink.
What can affect the price of a tattoo?
Size, placement, ink colour and timing can also all affect the price of a tattoo. The bigger the tattoo, the higher the price, as it takes up more of the artists time and materials, some placements can bump the price as they’re more difficult to tattoo, such as, neck or stomach, some artists will need to purchase specific ink colours depending on the tattoo, which can play a factor and typically, the longer a tattoo takes, the higher the price.
Anything else?
Above all else, experience will be what bumps that price up, after all, a 6 month apprentice will be charging significantly less that a seasoned tattooist of 10 years. At Buzz Club Tattoo Studio, the majority of our artists have been at work for 5+ years, so the high prices are often to reflect the time and dedication our artists have spent perfecting their craft.
Although tattoos on a budget may seem handy and the best option in the moment, this often means the tattooist isn’t experienced or doesn’t value their own work very highly, this can often lead to blowouts*, ink falling out, shaky lines and poorly proportioned work that you’ll probably need covering/ touching up anyway, so it’s often best to just bite the bullet to begin with, and ensure you’re booking in with a seasoned professional.
Transparency
If you’re worried about pricing, ask you artist for a quote, any respectable artist should have no trouble offering you a rough price range to help you budget for your tattoo, it also means no surprise for you when you hear the total. If the artist can’t give you a rough price in advance without reason- avoid!
Why do I need to pay a deposit?
Deposits have become fairly common place in the industry, and are often necessary to secure your appointment, but why?
Deposits are there to protect your artist, and always come off the total on the day without them! They’re essential for artists because if they are no-showed* or have a rescheduling last minute, they would have lost all their expected profit for that day without them, so deposits ensure they are still earning a profit, even in the worst case scenario. Most artists will transfer deposits onto another appointment if you have to reschedule- but this isn’t always the case, so make sure to read your artists policies!
Do I need to tip?
Tipping is always appreciated, and is the perfect way to show your artist you’re happy with the work they’ve produced, but is definitely not essential, so no pressure !
Overall, in the fine words of Sailor Jerry, “good tattoos aren’t cheap, cheap tattoos aren’t good.”
We hope this blog helped you understand tattoo pricing a bit more and next time you’re given a price, you understand all the factors that help create that sum!
*blowout. Where ink is pushed too deep into the skin and spreads beneath the surface, causing a ‘fuzzy’ or ‘blurry’ appearance.
*no-showed. client not turning up to an appointment without contacting the artist.
